Farm Work | 1937

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Farm Work, 1937, by Lester Beall

This striking modernist poster employs a bold tricolour design with distinct geometric elements to promote rural electrification. The composition is divided into three horizontal sections: a vibrant blue upper portion containing the words "FARM WORK" in strong black typography, a cream-colored middle section, and a bright red bottom section displaying "RURAL ELECTRIFICATION ADMINISTRATION" in white text. The poster was created using silkscreen printing technique and measures 40 × 30 inches (101.6 × 76.2 cm). Visually dominating the centre is a black silhouette of an electric motor or generator with circular concentric rings, connected by diagonal power lines to a tall utility pole. A simplified white silo or farm structure appears against the blue background, symbolizing the rural target of this electrification campaign.

The Rural Electrification Administration (REA) was created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt through Executive Order 7037 on May 11, 1935, as part of his New Deal initiatives to combat the Great Depression. It was formally established as a federal agency when Congress passed the Rural Electrification Act in 1936. The program addressed a significant disparity in American infrastructure: while nearly 90% of urban dwellers had electricity by 1930, only 10% of rural Americans had access to electrical power. The REA provided federal loans to finance the construction of electricity generation and transmission systems to rural areas where private utility companies refused to operate due to perceived lack of profitability. This initiative wasn't just aimed at improving farmers' lives but was a crucial strategy for economic recovery during the Depression by creating jobs and integrating rural Americans into the national economy.

Lester Beall (1903-1969) designed three separate series of posters for the Rural Electrification Administration between 1937 and 1941. His simple but highly effective designs announced their modernity through streamlined industrial design elements while evoking American identity through their colour palette and rural subject matter. Beall was an American graphic designer with a technology-oriented background who grew up playing with ham radios and creating wireless sets. He earned a degree in art history from the University of Chicago and took classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. In the years following his graduation, he developed an interest in modern art movements such as Surrealism, Constructivism, and Dadaism, which influenced his distinctive graphic style. His work gained international recognition, and in 1937 he became the first graphic artist to be honoured with a one-man exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Throughout his career, Beall produced innovative and highly regarded work for clients including the Chicago Tribune, Sterling Engraving, The Art Directors Club of New York, Hiram Walker, Abbott Laboratories, and Time magazine.